So You Want to Join a Board?

A CHRO’s Guide to the Boardroom

May 13, 2025

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At Equilar, we have the privilege of collaborating with exceptional leaders who have shaped our journey and pushed us to think bigger. One recent highlight was a fireside chat we hosted with Harriet Harty, former Chief Administrative Officer at ADT, and Suzan Morno-Wade, former CHRO at Xerox and current board member at Latham Group and Veritiv. As founding members of our advisory board, Harriet and Suzan have grown as leaders alongside us.

The conversation focused on many critical topics, including the journey from the CHRO role to board service. There is a growing and undeniable demand for human capital expertise at the highest levels of corporate governance. According to PwC’s Corporate Directors Survey, 64% of directors report that talent management was discussed in every board meeting over the past year. Boards are beginning to recognize what many of us have known for years—that people strategy is business strategy.

Yet, despite this demand, only 1.1% of board seats are currently occupied by CHROs. That’s not a pipeline issue—it’s a positioning issue. As a CHRO, how do you step into the opportunity and make yourself board-ready? We see three areas where CHROs can take action.

Deepen Relationships With Your Own Board

Your journey to board service often begins at home—with the board you already serve. CHROs are uniquely positioned with built-in access to experienced directors who can serve as champions, connectors and references. But proximity alone isn’t enough. The key is to build meaningful, two-way relationships.

Take the time to understand your directors’ perspectives.

• What other boards do they serve on?
• What governance challenges are top of mind for them based on issues at their other boards?
• How do they view leadership, culture and risk?

Each interaction—whether during formal meetings or informal conversations—is a chance to demonstrate your readiness. Your ability to connect your role to the broader priorities of the board is what sets you apart as a future director.

Demonstrate Business Acumen Through Compensation Strategy

One persistent—and outdated—stereotype is that HR leaders excel at execution but fall short on business strategy. One of the most effective ways to counter this perception is through leadership in incentive plan design.

CHROs who lead in incentive plan design help translate long-term business strategy into action. By identifying the key levers of sustainable growth—whether it’s margin expansion, revenue growth, customer retention or capital efficiency—and aligning executive incentives accordingly, you demonstrate your ability to think long-term. Well-structured plans grounded in the right financial and operational metrics not only reinforce accountability but also shape executive decision-making and strategic discipline, signaling that HR is driving the business, not just supporting it.

When you speak confidently about performance metrics, shareholder alignment and strategic outcomes, you prove that you not only understand people—you understand the business. That’s exactly what boards are looking for.

Expand Your External Board Network

The final piece of the board readiness puzzle is external visibility. Relationships drive board appointments, so it’s critical to cultivate connections beyond your current organization. Virtually all board searches start with “Who do we know?” Start by seeking opportunities to serve. This might include serving on a nonprofit, private or advisory board—especially one with a national footprint, which can expand your visibility to directors beyond your immediate region and open doors in other markets.

Attend governance-focused events like our Board Leadership Forum, co-hosted with Nasdaq, where you can engage directly with current directors and nominating committee members. These gatherings create space for authentic conversations that can lead to future board referrals.

Last but not least, a shameless plug for Equilar ExecAtlas, a robust database of over 3.5 million executives and board members, to expand your visibility. In today’s competitive environment, it’s essential to be present on the platforms and networks where recruiters and nominating committees actively identify HR-savvy board candidates.

ExecAtlas is also a powerful research tool to identify connections to wishlist companies through your personal network. While LinkedIn is great, the board world is not active on the platform, and profiles are often incomplete or outdated. You will miss powerful relationships in your network if you rely solely on LinkedIn.

Securing a board seat rarely comes from a single moment—it’s the culmination of strategic positioning, consistent visibility and demonstrated leadership over time. For CHROs, the moment is now. By taking advantage of your access to the boardroom, owning the strategic narrative through compensation design and investing in the right networks, you can chart your course to board service and bring vital human capital insight to the table where it’s needed most.

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